i • 


HISTORICAL  SDCII-TV  O^Xh\V  MhXICo. 


IUK 


STONE  IDOLS 


OF 


k  DESCRIPTION  <>i:  TIIUM    Hi  TO  riu 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


^.\  x  r.\  I-M-;,  1896. 


UNIVERSITY 

0( 


NE\V  MEXICO. 


HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  M-.W  Mli.Xiru. 


THE 


STONE  IDOLS 


OF 


NEW   MEXICO. 


A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THOSE  BELONGING  TO  THE 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


^  \.XTA 


SANTA  FE,  N.  M.: 

NBW  MEXICAN  PRINTING  COMPAXT 

MM 


OFFICERS 

OF   THE 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  NEW  MEXICO. 


1896. 

President Hon.  L.  Bradford  Prince,  LL.  1). 

Vice  President Hon.  William  T.  Thornton. 

Recording  Secretary William  M.  Berber,  Esq. 

Corresponding  Secretary  ....  *Hon.  Walter  C.  Hadley. 

Treasurer Mr.  Solomon  Spiegelberg. 

Curator Henry  Woodruff. 

*Died  February,  1896. 


LIFE  MEMBERS. 


BY  T1IH  PAYMENT  OF  $25  EACH. 


1881 
William  G.  Hitch. 

1883 
L.  Bradford  Prince,  LL.  D. 

1885 
William  W.  Griffin.* 

1887 
Francisco  A.  Manzanares. 

1889 

L.  P.  Browne. 
Jefferson  Baynolds. 
Buel  M.    Johnson. 
Wm.  A.  Vincent. 
Wilson  Waddingham. 
Mariano  S.   Otero. 
Nicolas  T.   Armijo.* 
Angus  A.   Grant. 

O 

Joshua  S.   Baynolds. 
Wm.  C.  Hazledine.* 
Numa  Beymond. 
Bussell  Marcy. 

1890 

Pedro  Y.  Jaramillo.* 
Jose  E.  Chav»  ••/.. 
Samuel  P.    Foster.* 


1890 

Gustav    Billing.* 
Eutimio  Montoya. 
Thomas  B.  Catron. 
J.  Pablo  Gallegos. 
Chas.  H.  Gildersleeve. 
Mariano  Barela.* 
C.  H.   Dan. 
Walter  C.  Hadley.* 

1891 

H.  B.  Fergusson. 
Charles  B.  Eddy. 
Abram  Staab. 
W.  A.  Hawkins. 
Mrs.  Louisa  Bristol. 
Frank  Springer. 
Bufus  J.  Palen. 

1892 

William  T.  Thornton. 
Bichard  Mansfield  Whit. 

18 

Thomas  Lowthian. 
1896 

Antonio  Joseph. 

Ch;i\  • 


•  Deo 


PLATE  NO.  i. 
1 


3 


THK  STOM.  IDOLS. 


While  images  of  stone,  u^-il  in  religious  ceieux 
or  kept  in  the  houses  of  the  people  as  "household  g 
were  common  in  New  Mexico,  and  wen 
and  elaborate  workmanship  vet  thev  wen-  not  used  by 
the  nomadic  aboriginal  tribes  inhabiting    most  of  what 
is  now  the  I'nited  States,  and  so  far  as  known  are  found 
in  no  part  of  our  country  except  New  .Mexico. 

Here  they  seem  to  have  been   very    numerous   !•• 
the  coming   of    the  Spaniards.      The    first  descriptions 
that  we  have  of  the  people  and  their  surround  in;; 
customs,   from   any   other  than   a    military    standpoint. 
are  found  in  the  narrative  of  the  expedition  of  Antonio 
de  Espejo,  who  set  out  from  the  valley  of   St.  Uaitholo- 
mew,  in  Mexico,  on  December  in,  l^s-j,  and  en1- 
Mexico  early  in    l.~>s:-$.      After   traveling   up   the   valley 
of  the  Kio  Grande  for  a  long  distance  th. 
district  containing  ten  towns  situated  on  bo:  i 
the  river  and  at  a  short  distance  from  it.      This   \\ 
the  vicinity   of  the  present    pueblo  of    Isleta.    po 
extending  southward    into   what    \B  no\    8  -unty. 

In  the  course  of  a    very    interestii.  iption   of  tin- 

people,  their  modes  of  living,  form  of  govern m-ir 
we  are  told   that  "many   idols,    which  the  Indians  wor- 
shiped,   were     found     in    this     proxin.-i-;   and    in    - 
house  an  oratorx  'ed  for  t  he  de\  il,  where  ],. 

said    to     preside,  and  to    which     f« 
him  to  eat.       In  various   places  the   Indians  ha 
chapels,  dedicated  to  the  devil,    in  which  he  was  said  to 
recreate  and  rest  himself  when  he  traveled  through  the 
country,    from    one    town    to   another.      The- 
all  IwmUmiely  trimmed  and    painted.        I 
resented,  by  pictures,  the  sun.  moon   and    stars  as  prin- 
cipal objects  of  their  worship." 

When  Kspejo,  shortly    afterwards,  having    1. 


Stone  Idols  of  New  Mexico. 


the  death  of  the  friars,  whom  he  had  come  to  protect, 
determined  to  explore  the  country  generally,  he  first 
proceeded  toward  the  west,  traveling  for  two  days  with 
only  two  companions.  This  brought  him  to  the  region 
of  Laguua.  Here  he  found  a  province  containing 
eleven  towns,  which  he  tells  us  were  very  populous  and 
estimated  to  contain  40,000  inhabitants.  The  people 
were  well  dressed  in  garments  of  skin  and  cotton,  and 
had  considerable  ore  from  adjacent  mines  in  their 
houses.  Here  again  we  are  told  "the  inhabitants  wor- 
shiped idols." 

Returning  from  this  province  to  Puara,  a  little  below 
Bernalillo,  Espejo  proceeded  up  the  Rio  Grande  twelve 
or  fifteen  miles,  and  there  found  a  flourishing  province 
of  five  towns  and  a  population  of  about  15,000,  who 
showed  great  hospitality  to  their  strange  visitors. 
Here  we  are  told  all  the  people  "worshiped  idols  in 
the  manner  of  their  neighbors,"  and  here  also  the  rep- 
resentations of  the  sun,  moon  and  stars  were  found. 

In  the  general  description  of  the  country  as  obtained 
from  Espejo  and  appearing  in  DeLarenaudiere's  history, 
it  is  said  "In  the  pueblos  of  all  the  Indians  were  seen 
a  multitude  of  idols." 

The  question  then  naturally  arises  "What  has  become 
of  these  idols?"  The  answer  is  not  difficult. 

While  the  colonists  who  settled  the  country  under 
Oilate  near  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  were  estab- 
lishing themselves,  building  houses,  cultivating  the  soil, 
and  seeking  for  mineral  wealth,  the  friars  who  accom- 
panied them  were  preaching  to  the  natives  and  convert- 
ing them  to  Christianity.  At  first  this  was  a  voluntary 
proceeding  brought  about  by  persuasion  and  argument. 
As  early  as  1608  no  less  than  8,000  Indians  were  re- 
ported to  have  been  baptised.  Geronimo  de  Zarate 
Salmaron,  the  most  zealous  of  the  Franciscans,  who 
settled  at  Jemez  and  preached  to  the  people  there  in 
their  own  language,  baptized  6,500  Indians  with  his 
own  hand.  By  the  year  1629  we  are  told  that  no  less 
than  34,650  natives  had  been  baptized. 


,S7o,,r     /r/M/.s-    Of     \£C\  ' 


Wherever  -hristianiU  was  introduced,  tin-  i<l<, 
the  old  religion  Wrre  d.  ,-,,„!  all  kheol 

Dies  prohibited. 

In  tin-  course  of  a  f« 

suasion.  As  the  Indians  from  bein^  friends  and  allies 
were  reduced  to  a  practical  slavery  and  compelled  to 
labor  for  their  task  masters,  so  in  religious  matters  com- 
pulsion was  resorted  to  and  tin*  nati\.  .bli^ed  to 
yield  at  least  an  outward  obedience  to  th<  nth. 

To  quote   from  one   witness  ,  >hort  time  tln-v 

saw  all  their  ancient  rites  prohibited  ;  the, 
closed;  their  altars  removed  and   their  idols  dest  i 
Their   favorite   dance,  the  cacliina.  was  interdicted,  and 
in  fine,  they  saw  themselves  compelled   to  kneel  at   the 
white  man's  shrine,  and    worship    his    (Jod.      Tin 
a  compliance  cruel  in   the  extreme.  Imt  t  _;•  arm 

of  Spanish  power  obliged  them  to  submit  and    not  un- 
frequeutly  the  lash  was  applied  to  make  tli«-m  mo- 
vout." 

The  first  Indian  attempt    at    revolution,  dm •; 
Ar^uello's  administration,   about    It'.  10.  -  d  by 

the  whipping,  imprisonment  and    han^in^  of    for1 
dians,  who  refused  to  abandon  their  old  religion.      Tin- 
Inquisition   was  in    full  power   in   V        \|  ,    by    tlie 
middle    of    the    I7th  century,    and    •  dian    was 
forced  to  at  least  a  pretended  acceptance  i  Ionian 
Catholic  faith.      Anything  that  could   be   found.  - 
ing  in  the  slightest  derive  of  the  old  religion.  WHS  in- 
stantly destroyed.      Articles  of   v                 "burned  and 
those  of  stone  broken  and  ground  to 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  Pueblo  Indians  i 
really  abandoned  their  old  religion,  and  in  bir 
cases,  have  d<  to  this  da  nonial 

exercises  of  their  religion  had   to  In-  absolutely  ft 
and  in  the  recesses  of  the 

chamber  of    the    lar^e  communal    building,   ! 
window    or    direct     communicat i.»n     with    tlie     out>ide 
world. 

Tin-  idols,  existing  ii  :iseh»»ld  gods, 


Idols  of  New  Me,ric<>. 


disappeared  and  were  to  a  great  extent  destroyed,  be- 
fore the  middle  of  the  17th  century.  Hence  in  the 
ruins  of  the  numerous  pueblos  destroyed  or  deserted 
during  the  revolution  of  1680,  nothing  of  this  kind  has 
been  found. 

Those  that  have  been  excavated  come  from  the  ruins 
of  towns  destroyed  or  deserted  before  the  arrival  of 
the  Spaniards,  and  while  the  old  faith  was  publicly 
followed  and  the  household  gods,  as  well  as  the  images 
used  in  the  general  public  worship,  were  displayed 
rather  than  concealed. 

These  idols  are  almost  always  found  on  the  floor  of 
the  lower  rooms,  covered  by  the  ruins  of  the  upper 
stories  as  well  as  the  accumulated  dnst  of  ages.  They 
are  often  accompanied  by  metates,>  entire  or  broken, 
the  mano  stones,  and  sometimes  by  stone  mortars,  with 
or  without  pestles,  stone  hammers,  axes  and  other  stone 
implements. 

Usually  the  ruins  in  which  they  are  found  show  evi- 
dences of  destruction  by  fire,  and  this  may  account  for 
the  desertion  being  so  sudden  that  even  the  household 
gods  could  not  be  carried  away.  Charred  wood,  and 
half  burned  corn  are  frequently  found,  and  in  some 
cases  vitrified  masses  caused  by  the  intense  heat  of  the 
fire.  In  one  instance  one  of  these  vitrifactions  shows 
plainly  the  impression  of  an  ear  of  corn  which  was 
partially  imbedded  in  it  but  has  since  been  destroyed. 

Our  Society  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  obtain 
twenty  of  these  rare  objects  of  worship  thus  intimately 
connected  with  the  history  of  our  Territory  and  with 
the  customs  of  the  people  in  pre-  historic  times.  Xo 
oilier  public  institution  in  this  country  or  Europe  pos- 
sesses even  one.  So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascer- 
tain, the  total  number  that  have  been  found,  besides 
those  in  the  large  collection  of  Hon.  L.  Bradford  Prince, 
and  our  own  specimens,  does  not  exceed  ten. 

One  of  these  belongs  to  Thomas  Lowthian,  Esq.,  of 
Bland,  who  has  kindly  promised  to  donate  it  to  our 
Society.  One  is  in  the  possession  of  President  Hard- 


>/'»//' 


son  at  [ndianopolis,  one  belongs  to   Hon.  \\illiam    M. 
Evarts  iu  New   York,  our   to    Hon.    John  \\  .  N«.ble  in 
St.  Louis,  and  five  were   in  possession  of   H.    A     U 
fort,  Esq.,  of  Albuquerque,  but  have  since  been  distrib- 
uted ftmoog  eastern  collectors. 

Tin*  Prine.-  collection,  a  considerable  portion  of  which 
has  been  loaned  to  our   Society  antl    is   tlins    av?iilal)le 
for  public  inspection,  and  other  sp»-<-imrns   from  which 
are  on  exhibition  at  the  Met ropolitan  Mnseiun    in   \ 
York,  contains  tin-  ^ivat  lndk  "f  all  tlie  stone  idols  that 
has    thus    far    been    discovered.      It  embraces    <>. 
thousand  figures,  the  result  of  twelve  nnreinit- 

ting  activity  in  exploration^  and  excavation  and    li 
expenditure  of  time  and  inonev    in  all  localities  which 
«^ave  [u-omise  of  t-ontainin^  such  historic  tiva>u: 

\\'e  pi-esent  lierewith  four  illustrations,  representing 
the  most  important  of  the  idols  belon^m^  to  our  So- 
ciety, in  order  to  ijivr  a  more  accurate  idea  of  their 
character  than  could  be  coin  eyed  by  simple  description. 

The  sixes  of  these  figures  are  «jiven  on   i  :    tin- 

last  five  not  having    been   photographed.      The  dimen 
sions   are  ^i\cn  in  indies. 


10 


Stone  Idols  of  New  Mexico. 


PLATE   NO.  2. 

5  6 


8 


llf    AVi. 


11 


PLATE  NO.  3. 
9  10 


11 


12 


1'2  xtnni'  Idols  of  Neir 


PLATE.  NO.  HEIGHT.  GREATEST  WIDTH. 

1  1  HHj  74 

i  2  ir>«  7§ 

1  3  141  o« 

1  4  17J  P)| 

2  5  10|  7=| 
2  (>  12«  r>4 
2  7  12  j  94 

2  s  124  74 

3  9  21"  84 
3  10  20«  r>" 

3  11  104  5» 

3          12  9>  <•>;• 

4  13  13:J  s;: 
4                  14                    1C)  i»i 
4                  15                      84                          134 

II)  10"  54 

17  12  4| 

18  ^  3g 
11)                      7                               3  A 
20                    13J  (J) 

Some  are  quite  flat,  numbers  13  and  14  being  the 
most  noticeable  in  this  way;  and  others  are  nearly 
round,  as  numbers  1,  6  and  7.  Number  21  is  about 
44  inches  in  thickness  from  front  to  back.  Number  20 
is  made  from  a  flat  slab  of  sand  stone,  and  is  entirely 
different  in  material  and  other  respects  from  the  others. 

The  largest,  it  will  be  seen  from  the  above  table,  are 
numbers  9  and  10,  each  of  which  is  about  21  inches 
high.  Number  9  is  a  very  massive  image,  weighing 
314  Ibs.  Number  10  is  peculiar  in  shape,  the  head 
running  up  about  to  a  point,  and  the  body  having  a 
flat  back. 

While  these  do  not  approach  in  size  some  of  the 
great  idols  belonging  to  Gov.  Prince — where  a  number 
are  over  4  feet  in  height  and  one  measures  5  feet  5^ 
inches, — yet  they  are  the  largest  known  to  exist  out- 
side of  that  collection. 

All  of  these  figures  except  No.    20  are   of    the  same 


Sto*<    /•/../*  of  A.  w    v.  i  ; 


material — a  volcanic  stone,  of  a  light  i^i'n\  color,  i 
and  porous,  with  holes  of  considera  1.1. •  >!/»•   apparently 
caused  by  air  bubbles   when  cooling.      Tin-     itooe     ra 
sembles    an    artificial    concrete,  and   is   of  a  character 
quite  common  in  parts  of  Mexico  wheiv  there  have  been 
comparatively  recent  volcanic  eruptions  and  lava  Mows. 
The  walls  of  many  of  tin-  ancient    pueblo  houses    wen- 
built  of  similar  material. 

While  the  idols  in  the  collection  belonging  to  our 
Society  are,  with  the  one  exception  stated,  all  made 
from  this  stone,  it  must  not  be  understood  that  all  the 
idols  that  have  been  excavated  are  of  similar  character. 
In  the  collection  belonging  to  (Jov.  Prince  there  is  a 
considerable  variety  in  this  respect. 

For  instance,  one  type  of  idols,  of  the  most  crude  char- 
acter, is  made  from  black  or  dark  red  lava,  pieces  be- 
ing selected  which  naturally  bore  a  resemblance  to 
some  object  that  it  was  desired  to  represent,  and  then 
by  a  few  strokes  of  the  hammer,  and  the  rough  carving 
of  features,  ma:le  to  serve  as  the  household  god. 

The  idols  of  another  type,  of  a  much  higher  charac- 
ter, are  made  of  a  whitish,  veined  marble,  quite  un- 
usual in  this  section. 

One  idol  in   his  collection,  is  of  a  pumice   st»i. 
light  that  it  will  float  in  water. 

Nineteen  of  the  twenty  images  in  our  collection  rep- 
resent human  figures,  and  one  an  animal.  The  latter 
is  shown  in  plate  1,  number  1  •"».  and  will  be  rei'ern-d  to 
separately. 

Eighteen  of  the  human  figures  are  of  the  ^aim- 
era!   type,  the   other,  which    is    numbered    -"JO"  in   tin- 
list,  as   before  stated,  is  of  different    material,  being   a 
large  oval    fiat  sandstone,  with    round  edges,  and    with 
eyes,  nostrils  and  mouth  to  represent  a  human  face  at  tin- 
upper  end.      The  eyes   and  nostrils  are    round   cavities 
and  the  mouth  a  straight  incision   about    an  inch     and 
three-quarters    long.      The  whole  crudely    n-pre>. 
human  figure,  but    has   no  neck  or  division  between  the 
head  and  bndv.  and  no  representation   ,,f    arm  >or  leg-. 


14  Stone  Idols  of  New  Mexico. 


The  eighteen  other  human  figures  all  have  heads 
with  eyes,  nostrils  and  mouths.  Some  have  well  de- 
fined necks,  as  numbers -2  and  4  in  plate  1,  and  num- 
bers 9  and  10  in  plate  3.  Others  simply  have  the 
heads  smaller  than  the  bodies,  the  shoulders  widening 
out  directly  from  the  base  of  the  head,  as  number  7  in 
plate  2,  number  12  in  plate  3,  and  numbers  13  and  14 
in  plate  4,  and  others  have  scarcely  any  line  of  de- 
marcation between  the  head  and  the  body,  as  seen  in 
numbers  1  and  3  in  plate  1,  and  notably  in  number  f> 
in  plate  2,  and  number  19. 

In  most  of  them  the  eyes  and  nostrils  are  simply 
round  holes  punctured  in  the  stone,  and  the  mouth  is 
a  long,  deep  cavity  below  the  nostrils.  This  class  of 
mouth  is  seen  very  distinctly  in  numbers  1  and  4  in 
plate  1,  and  number  5  in  plate  2.  The  mouth  of  num- 
ber 9  (plate  3)  is  shorter  but  very  deep.  In  others 
the  mouth  is  represented  by  another  circular  cavity 
similar  to  those  intended  for  the  eyes  and  nostrils,  but 
larger  and  deeper.  Such  mouths  are  seen  in  number 
2  in  plate  1,  numbers  6,  7  and  8  in  plate  2,  numbers 
10  and  12  in  plate  3,  and  to  a  modified  degree  in  num- 
ber 13  in  plate  4.  Generally  the  holes  representing 
the  nostrils  are  cut  directly  into  the  stone,  but  in  a  few 
cases  they  have  an  upward  inclination. 

All  of  the  human  figures  appearing  in  the  plates 
have  arms,  but  they  are  not  all  in  the  same  position. 
The  usual  position — what  may  be  called  the  normal 
type — is  that  with  the  forearm  brought  up  over  the 
breast,  so  that  the  hands  (merely  ends  of  the  arms  in 
these  idols)  touch  the  mouth.  This  position  will  be, 
seen  in  all  of  the  figures,  1  to  4  in  plate  1,  and  in 
numbers  7,  8,  12,  13  and  14.  being  nine  of  the  14 
represented  in  the  plates. 

Another  position  for  the  arms,  is  with  the  left  arm 
bent  and  brought  up  to  the  mouth,  as  in  the  usual 
type,  but  the  right  arm  is  placed  across  the  body,  be- 
low it,  and  tending  downward.  This  form  is  seen  in 
numbers  5,  6,  10  and  11,  with  slight  variations. 


m   /</»/.»•  "/'  R       "  r> 

Some  of  the  idols  in  Gov.  Prince's  collection  have 
this  position  of  the  arms  reversed;  the  left  arm  In-low 
bent  upward  to  the  mouth,  and  the  right  one  crossed 
below  it. 

In  number  '.»  the  arms  hang  down  straight  from  the 
shoulders,  and  are  strongly  defined — in  high  relief. 
Among  the  four  lava  idols  which  are  not  photographed, 
two,  numbers  18  and  19,  have  no  arms  at  all ;  they  also 
have  no  necks  or  divisions  between  the  head  and  the 
body,  and  are  of  the  simplest  possible  form  to  represent 
a  human  being;  one  (No.  17)  has  two  arms  in  the 
usual  position,  reaching  to  the  mouth,  and  number  1(5 
has  a  left  arm  only,  bent  at  the  elbow  as  in  the  normal 
type,  so  as  to  reach  the  mouth  with  the  end  of  the  arm, 
where  a  hand  should  he. 

Two  of  the  figures,  numbers  2  and  3,  have  legs,  in  a 
form  exactly  similar  to  the  arms  of  what  we  have 
called  the  "normal  type.1'  The  legs  in  this  form  are 
almost  in  the  exact  position  of  the  legs  of  the  Pueblo 
Indians  who  sit  on  the  ground,  and  usually  lean  l>ark 
against  the  walls  of  their  houses.  This  form  of  repre- 
senting the  legs  seems  to  have  become  conventionalized, 
as  they  almost  always  appear  in  substantially  the  same 
position. 

In  fact  there  is  but  one  known  exception — that  of  a 
very  large  and  perfect  idol  in  Gov.  Prince's  collection, 
424  inches  high,  in  which  the  legs  appear  carved  at 
full  length  and  with  considerable  regard  to  proportion, 
the  knees,  etc.,  being  well  represented. 

Number  11  in  plate  3,  differs  entirely  from  all  the 
others  in  our  collection,  and  so  far  as  we  know  from 
all  others  that  have  been  excavated,  in  the  carving  at 
the  top  of  the  head,  which  apparently  represents  a 
crown.  A  v.-i -\  intelligent  Pueblo  Indian,  who  WHS 
shown  this  idol,  immediately  pronounced  this  to  be  a 
crown,  and  said  that  the  idol  though  small  was  proba- 
bly the  "(Vntro"  or  m«>  t'ul  onr  of  all.  around 
which  ordinary  ones  wen-  ^n.uped  in  the  religious 
ceremonials.  He  said  that  undoubtedly  it  wa-  the 


10 


Stone  Idoh  of  New  Mexico. 


PLATE   NO.  4. 
13  14 


15 


.S7..,,r     l,i,  |0 


Captain  or  King,  bring  the  only  one  distinguished  1»\ 
any  head  covering,  and  certainly  the  only  «•!)«•  inth 
any  head-dress  similar  to  a  crown. 

The  object  ion  to  this  theory  is  that  we  have  noth- 
ing to  show  that  the  ancestors  of  the  Pueblo  Indians 
knew  anything  whatever  of  crowns  as  insignia  of  n>\  - 
alty.  There  can  he  no  doubt,  however,  that  the  orna- 
mental head-dress  represented  some  kind  of  dignitx 
and  authority,  which  may  have  been  civil,  military  or 
ecclesiastical.  A  careful  search  through  the  vast  col- 
lection of  Gov.  Prince,  which  contains  every  known 
type  of  New  Mexico's  stone  idol,  fails  to  show  any 
figure  thus  decorated,  and  we  therefore  claim  for  this 
idol  a  unique  distinction  and  special  interest. 

Number  15  is  an  animal,  and  the  ordy  one  in  our 
collection.  They  were  not  so  uncommon,  however,  in 
some  of  the  ancient  towns  as  might  be  indicated  by 
this  fact,  as  the  Prince  collection  contains  nearly  or 
quite  a  hundred  specimens,  representing  a  considerable 
variety  of  animals,  as  well  as  a  number  of  crude  birds. 

The  one  which  we  possess,  and  which  appears  in 
plate  4,  is  solid  and  massive,  with  a  large  head  pro- 
jecting in  front,  eyes,  nostrils  and  along,  partly  opened 
mouth.  The  distinguishing  characteristic  is  the  tail, 
which  is  thrown  over  the  body  and  appears  there  in 
high  relief.  The  mouth  is  curved  downward,  and  is  8 
inches  in  length,  measured  directly  from  end  to  end. 
The  tail  is  7  inches  long.  All  the  stone  images  of 
animals  are  conventionalized,  and  no  doubt  the  accepted 
form  has  been  continued  to  the  present  time,  as  the 
well  informed  Pueblos  of  to-day  will  state,  without 
hesitation,  which  animal  is  indicated  b\  rach  figure. 
The  one  in  question  they  pronounce  to  be  a  mountain 
lion,  on  account  of  its  long  tail,  which  they  say  doen 
not  appear  on  the  image  of  any  other  animal:  though 
they  express  surprise  that  the  head  is  smooth  and 
without  representation  of  Mr*  I'hU  stone  lion  meas- 
ures _;!  inches  around  tin-  body  and  i-  I'-',  inches  in 
length.  It  weighs  22  pou in: 


MM  I 
Wo,  1- 


